It is expected that the roadway of Hammersmith Bridge will be completely closed for a year commencing January 2016. The footways will still be open.

On 25 April we had a ride over the bridge with LBHF Councillors. The object was to convince them that measures were needed to make cycling safer and more appealing on the bridge.

Instead of the present paltry markings, meant to convey that cyclists should “hold the lane” at the pinch points

we want something more substantial that shows cyclists have priority on the bridge.

It would be good to have signs saying “DO NOT OVERTAKE CYCLISTS” but officialdom [Road Sign regulations] and anti-clutter sentiment weigh heavily against this.

John Griffiths has written to the Council hoping that they will include this in the Cycling Strategy at this late stage.

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LBHF plan to consult on the Bridge and the approaches soon. This is expected February 2015. They intend to give the bridge a 20 mph speed limit. This will necessitate signs on the bridge saying 20 mph.

In conversations with officers the have said they do not intend to have any notices or road markings indicating “Cyclist Priority” or “Narrow Lanes – Do not overtake cyclists”

When the consultation appears I hope people will respond saying that these are essential . John Griffiths 25 Jan 2015

Last year we had a survey on Hammersmith Bridge which is now closed. The survey started on 12 May 2014 and has attracted 141 respondents. The survey was issued via cyclist email lists, leaflets handed out near Hammersmith Bridge and via the Hammersmith Today website and newsletter.

The survey asked about the new markings and logos placed on the bridge. The markings were intended to encourage cyclists to ride in a primary position and to “hold the lane” so that they could not be overtaken at pinch pints. The responsibility was placed on the cyclists to be brave, and not on the motorist to give way.

The headline results were

a] 32% believed that the message from the logos was that cyclists were meant to ride on the left so that they could be overtaken at the pinch points.

b] To the question “Do the markings make you feel safer?” the most popular response was that it makes no difference,followed by it makes it riskier for cyclists.

c] 95% wanted a 20mph limit installed as soon as possible.

Of the 141 respondents 62 live in H&F and 25 live in Richmond. Of the 141 respondents 44 work or study in H&F, 11 in Richmond. Most were confident or very confident cyclists.

Conclusion from this survey is that the present system is not satisfactory.

We see the survey as a quest to look into the possible ways the bridge can be handled in the long term, especially as it is due for more serious renewal in 2015. However, in the immediate short term we continue to campaign for our demand in Space For Cycling to see the bridge and surrounding roads up to Hammersmith Broadway and beyond made 20mph.

Hammersmith Bridge was built in 1887 and has since 2008 been a Grade II* Listed Structure. It forms a crucial link in the local cycle network but also presents a unavoidable barrier to many potential cycle trips. We have long been demanding that the council take responsibility for both the condition of the surface and the experience of cycling over it which we believe is a deterrent to many.

when Hammersmith Bridge was listed, the BBC depicted it as a cycling heaven

The road surface is currently made of thin layers of tarmac on top of plates. There is severe degradation to the continuity of the surface both on and between these plates. Which means the surface currently looks like this:

Severely degraded surface of Hammersmith Bridge

The surface alone means that this section of road requires cyclists to alter their line constantly to avoid the worst of the surface. Places where the roadway has worn clear or where metal bolts are placed atop the surface to hold it on are innumerable and especially risky to cyclists in inclement weather.

I was maybe into 1/3 of the bridge on my way south when I heard a big bang. Turned around and heard my daughter screaming… Dropped my bike and ran to the scene. I could not see my daughter as I could only see a silver car smashed again the main pillar of the bridge and my wife running as fast as possible to get to my daughter out. Another red car was in the middle of the road… My daughter was squeezed between the pillar (the bridge), her bike and the car. She could not exit and get her hand off the pillar.

We held a flashride over the bridge to draw attention to the issues. As you can see from the video, turnout was strong. Incidentally at the time of the video, the roadway was in slightly better repair, as deterioration has continued to occur.

Whilst worried about the Thames Tideway Tunnel, our council leader was very keen to talk to the media about the poor condition of the bridge.

Though the council admit that there are a very high number of cyclists using the bridge, they insist that due to the low number of accidents that it is not unsafe. We would counter that given that cyclists are using the footways to avoid the roadway the bridge is clearly dangerous enough that cyclists are either disregarding the rules or choosing not to cycle. We would also invite any councillor who defends the current experience of cycling over this bridge to use it daily as many others do, without alternatives. In 2010, we carried out a survey of over 200 cyclists who use the bridge, 92% found crossing the bridge very scary or sometimes very scary.

There is agreement from the council to repaint the lines on the roadway, which would make the edges of the carriageway straight along the whole bridge and to place bike logos at prominent spots near to some bridge pillars. They believe this would reinforce that cyclists are allowed to hold position on the bridge.

The bridge currently has a speed limit of 30mph which is despite having prominent narrowing at the approaches which slow drivers down to below even 20mph. The above graphs from 2008 show that even the 85th percentile speeds (speeds which all but fastest 15% observe) were often over the existing speed limit of 30mph. Late at night drivers appear to be doing 40mph which won’t be helping the bridge surface. Such speeding is a London-wide problem.

We want to see the roadway made safer and less threatening for cyclists. We want a 20mph speed limit on the bridge and clear markings that indicate to drivers that no overtaking is permitted on the bridge. The surface of the bridge should be smooth and continuous, not full of potholes and lumps. Combined these make this bridge far more dangerous than it should or could be. A much calmer environment would enable this bridge to perform the function of a vital town centre link rather than being treated as a narrow expressway into South West London.

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We are the local branch of the London Cycle Campaign (LCC) for the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. We also cover Shepherd's Bush but that's not part of the name of our borough, a fuller guide to where we cover is here.